Railway-signal system



(No Model.)

L. B. FIRMAN. RAILWAY SIGNAL SYSTEM.

No. 429,899. Patented June 10,1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEROY B. FIRMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,899, dated June 10,1890.

Application filed April 15, 1889. Serial No. 307,210. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEROY B. FIRMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Signal Systems, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railway-signal systems orapparatus.

In the railway-signal system heretofore generally in use, with theordinary main circuit employed forgeneral telegraph purposes, andwherein a separate main wire or circuit is not employed in or for aspecial block-signal system, it is customary for the train-dispatcher totelegraph his orders from his office to the attendant at some distantstation, directing him, for example, to set the semaphore or otherrailway-signal to hold all trains, or some particular train, for thepurpose of making a meeting-point for other trains going in the oppositedirection. The attendant, leaving his key open to hold the circuit,usually sets the semaphore or signal and then telegraphs back all right.Sometimes, however, he fails to set the semaphore at once, and with theintention of doing so after having received the necessary train order hetelegraphs back all right, and then his attention being called to someother matter as, for example, the selling of a tickethe finally forgetsto set the semaphore or signal at all, so that accidents may occur.Consequently, with this old system the train-dispatcher cannot always beabsolutely certain that his orders have been received and obeyed.

The object of my invention is to provide a system or means for use inconnection with the ordinary main circuit employed for general telegraphpurposes, whereby all uncertainty may be avoided and whereby also thetrain-dispatcher may be at once informed that the semaphore or signal isset the moment after it has been done.

My invention consists in the means I employ to accomplish thisresultthat is to say, it consists in the combination, with the ordinarymain circuit used for general telegraph purposes and connecting atrain-dispatchers station with a signal or semaphore station, and havingincluded therein the usual ;transmitting and receiving instruments, of aLrailway signal or semaphore or its operating- ;lever and a signal-boxwhich is set in opera- .tion by the movement of the semaphore or itsoperating-lever, and which serves to trans- .mit the name or number ofthe station to the receiving-inst-rument at the train-dispatch- ;ersoffice, so that the train-dispatcher will :know that the semaphore atany particular station is set the moment it is done.

, In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification,I have shown a diagram view of a system or apparatus embodying myinvention.

In the drawing, A represents the transmitting-instrument at thetrain-(lispatchei"s office; B, the sounder; O, the register; D, themain-line battery; and E, the local battery'for operating the sounderand the register. F is a switch for cutting out the register whendesired. G G represent the stations along the line H. K represents theinstrument at one of the stations G, and L a semaphore or otherrailway-signal having an operating lever or arm M. All these parts areof the ordinary construction now commonly in use and need no detaileddescription, as their construction and operation are well lgnown tothose skilled in the art.

N represents the electric signal box or device, which may be of anyordinary construction now commonly in use. This signal-box is connectedin the main circuit II, and it has a signal-wheel 91, adapted totransmit the number, name, or some suitable signal indicating the nameor number of the station at which the semaphore is located. Theoperating-arm n of this signal-box is connected to the operating-lever Mof the semaphore by any suitable means-as, for example, by a slidingpawl or hook 11 having a cam 71 which engages a pin it", and thusreleases the operating-arm at when it has been pulled down by movementof the semaphore-lever M.

The operation of my system is as follows: The train-dispatchertelegraphs his order to the attendant at one of the stations G,directing him,for example, to set the signal or semaphore. The attendantat the signal-station, after receiving the order, leaves the key K ofhis instrument open, so that the electric current will pass through thesignal-box N, which allows the circuit to be opened and closed by thesignal-wheel 'n, and then goes to the lever M and operates thesemaphore, thus at the same time moving the operatingarm a of thesignal-box N, so that the signal-box at once transmits back to thetraindispatcher the nnmberor name of the station at which the semaphoreor signal has thus been set, While the key K is still open. In this waythe train-dispatcher is at once informed the moment that therailway-signal has been set, and there is consequently no chance for anyuncertainty or mistake. In case the train-dispatcherdoes not receiveback the signal transmitted by the signalbox, he knows by such fact thathis orders have not been executed and will of course repeat them. Themessage or signal transmitted by the signal-box N when the semaphore orother signal is operated, may be received at the train-dispatchefisstation by the sounder B, or by the register 0, one or both, or othersuitable rccciving-instrument.

I claim 1. The railway-signal system comprising the ordinary maincircuit used for general telegraph purposes and a train-dispatchersstation with a series of signal or semaphore stations, at transmittingand receiving instrument at the train -dispatchers station included insaid main circuit, and a receivinginstrument, a semaphore, and anautomatic signal-box included in said main circuit and having anoperating-arm connected with the semaphore and operated thereby at eachsemaphore-station, substantially as specified.

2. The railway-signal system in which are combined the ordinary maincircuit used for general telegraph purposes, connecting atrain-dispatchers station with a series of signal or semaphore stations,and automatic signal-boxes included in said circuit and located one ateach semaphore-station and connected and operated by the semaphores ofthe stations, and transmitting and receiving instruments included insaid main circuitat both the train-dispatcl1e1"s station and the signalor semaphore stations, substantially as specified.

LEROY 13. FIRMAN. Witnesses:

EDMUND ADCOCK, H. M. MUNDAY.

